(CNN) - Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday night he's a little too busy with his re-election bid this year to have a beer with Sen. Rand Paul.

The senator from Kentucky made the pitch earlier in the day, hoping to ease tensions that have escalated in the past week between the two potential 2016 Republican presidential contenders.
But Christie gave no indication he plans to take up Paul on the effort.

"I'm running for re-election in New Jersey, I don't really have time for that at the moment. If I find myself in Washington, I'll certainly look him up," Christie said on New Jersey 101.5. "But I've got work to do here."

Paul made his peace offering during a television interview, saying he's ready to "kiss and make up," one day after he called Christie the "king of bacon" when it comes to government spending. Paul’s reference to Christie's requests for billions in federal relief aid after Superstorm Sandy slammed into his state came in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on “The Situation Room.”

Christie and Paul have publicly criticized each other on a range of issues in the last week. It started Thursday when Christie said he sharply disagreed with Paul's opposition to some of the federal surveillance program.

Paul has responded with his blows about the governor and Sandy relief, saying Christie is "bankrupting" the federal government. And the two have since gone back and forth.

Christie said Wednesday night that he was simply answering a question last week about the National Security Agency and was not targeting Paul. He said he doesn't understand why Paul is "so out of whack about this."

"At the end of the day, I didn't call him any names, yet he called me names," he said. "I just have to assume from that that he's just trying to get attention.”

“It really had nothing to do with Senator Paul, but Senator Paul wanted to make it about Senator Paul," Christie added.

During their heated exchanges in the last week–which played out in the media–Christie attacked Paul on pork-barrel spending.

With both considered potential candidates in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, political observers are closely watching their relationship. Asked Wednesday if he likes Christie, Paul admitted he doesn't know the outspoken governor too well.

"But I think the party is big enough for both of us," he said on Fox News.

Paul added, however, he would support whoever the party picks for its nominee, including Christie.

Some have even floated the idea of the two pairing up on the same ticket. But Paul said they're going "to have to patch things up" first.

"I'm inviting him to a beer–anytime he would like to come down and sit down at the pub right around the corner from the Senate," Paul said.

The senator went on to say the invitation hasn't been made official, and his office still needs to put it in writing. When asked if he would be open to meeting Christie for that beer in New Jersey, Paul said they might need to further discuss the exact spot.

"We could always negotiate a middle ground like Philadelphia maybe," he said.